Antonee Robinson’s international horror show suggests he is not ready for Everton spotlight

Antonee Robinson, Everton’s on-loan left back, endured a torrid night for the United States against Colombia on Thursday.

Robinson’s horror show of a performance in his country’s 4-2 defeat revealed that the young defender simply isn’t ready to be called back to the Everton first team set-up anytime soon.

The full-back, currently on a season-long loan to Wigan, was exposed time after time again on the U.S.’ left wing, with Colombian attackers taking advantage of his poor positioning, questionable decision making, and overly-aggressive pressing.

(Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Although Robinson did provide the cross that led to America’s first goal, for the vast majority of his time on the pitch he was penned back defending. Colombia clearly identified the 21-year-old as a weak link, and directed almost all of their attacks down his wing; at one point, Juan Cuadrado specifically swapped sides for a chance to expose the Everton youngster.

In the end, when Robinson was on the pitch, all three of Colombia’s goals came from his defensive side or as a result of his poor marking.

Undoubtedly playing against the likes of James Rodriguez, Radamel Falcao, Carlos Bacca, and Cuadrado is no easy feat, and Robinson is still very much a young prospect with a bright career ahead of him. Yet his poor performance against los Cafeteros provided a clear indicator that he is not ready to play a part at Goodison Park anytime soon.

Max is a journalist studying at the University of Pennsylvania. Max specialises in English football and co-hosts a weekly podcast. He is also a politics reporter and deputy news editor for The Daily Pennsylvanian.